Turkey Taco Quinoa Skillet

March 3, 2022
Last Updated: August 20, 2023
2 Comments
Recipes

This turkey taco quinoa skillet is an easy, gluten-free, delicious weeknight meal that comes together quickly. Made with cheese, quinoa, ground turkey, black beans, veggies, these ground turkey quinoa bowls will be a new favorite!

turkey taco quinoa skillet with cilantro and avocado in blue cooking pot

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Reviews are in and this quinoa ground turkey skillet is a family favorite. At least in our house and throughout the neighborhood.

The best part is that it’s made in 20 minutes, which is seriously a goldmine for busy athletes and families.

One of my favorite tips for meal prep for athletes is to keep your pantry stocked with convenient, easy to use ingredients for busy nights.

Well, this cheesy taco skillet with ground turkey and quinoa is just that. We drew from our canned products of corn, beans and tomatoes, which we always have stocked.

Canned products are lifelines, especially for this quinoa turkey casserole.

turkey taco skillet with quinoa and veggies in blue cooking pot

The idea for quinoa taco meat never came to me until testing this recipe.

I figured I’d add cooked quinoa because it’s so fluffy and it meshed SO WELL with the ground turkey and flavors here.

This turkey quinoa recipe will quickly become a house favorite. It reminds me of my favorite one pot taco tortellini pasta recipe, but with quinoa.

Even kids enjoy it, especially when served with tortilla chips or in a taco, soft or hard! Totally one of the better quinoa recipes for toddlers.

ground turkey quinoa casserole cooked in blue baking dish

Ingredients for Turkey Taco Quinoa Skillet

This turkey taco quinoa skillet recipe tastes like a ground turkey quinoa casserole.

Served with any toppings and sauces of your choice (guacamole, avocado, tortilla chips, salsa, extra cheese), it is fully personalizable!

We’re really just combining everything here to make these delectable ground turkey quinoa bowls. So, you’ll need:

cooked quinoa
yellow onion
ground turkey
taco seasoning
canned corn
black beans
fire roasted canned tomatoes
shredded cheese
crumbled tortilla chips
avocado
salsa, optional
cilantro, optional

While you can add more or reduce ingredients from here, this is usually what I prefer and what we typically keep as our pantry staples.

This ground turkey taco skillet can be as simplistic as you want or need it to be. After all, this is one of our favorite Thursday night dinners, before we’re out of food for the week and we either plan to eat out or make a grocery trip.

plate with ground turkey uncooked, taco spices and other ingredients for casserole

Ideally, your cooked quinoa is fluffy. I love mixing quinoa and ground turkey together.

You can probably make faux quinoa taco meat without the ground turkey, but I think the quinoa adds a fluffy component and it helps the meat last longer.

In other words, quinoa ground turkey is a great way to add more plant-based fiber and buff up the meal to lend more servings and leftovers.

ground turkey taco skillet with serving spoon in blue bowl

How to Make a Cheesy Taco Skillet with Quinoa

Don’t let the quinoa throw you off. You’re just adding it cooked. So, if you have leftover quinoa from another recipe, this is a great way to use it.

Up until this point, I’d use leftover quinoa for this lemon herb cheesy quinoa, but now I think I’m more inclined to save it for this turkey taco casserole.

To start, if you don’t have pre-cooked quinoa, cook your quinoa.

While that’s working, start with cooking your onions in some olive oil and garlic, if you’d like. Then, add your ground turkey to a medium pan over high heat.

Cook the ground turkey until it’s no longer pink.

Food safety recommendations advise cooking to 165 degrees. Use a meat thermometer to be safe!

Then, you’ll add in the taco seasoning, canned tomatoes, corn and black beans. Heat and cook for a few minutes before letting it simmer.

ground turkey, canned tomatoes, black beans and quinoa in blue pot

You’ll combine everything to form this tasty ground turkey quinoa casserole.

I also love to add avocado to the quinoa ground turkey mixture, and crushed tortilla chips for some crunch.

If you’re a cilantro fan, using it as a topping is great! There really is nothing like a turkey taco casserole that you can dip chips into.

ground turkey and quinoa in white bowl with tortilla chips and avocado on top

FAQ for Skillet Taco Bake

Can I make quinoa taco meat and leave out the turkey?

Yes, to make quinoa taco meat, just sub out the turkey and mix the quinoa with beans and other ingredients. If you did want to add another plant based protein in there, you could add tofu or tempeh. If you do add tempeh and have an air fryer, this air fryer tempeh is fantastic.

What do I serve this turkey quinoa skillet with?

We typically serve as is, like a ground turkey quinoa casserole. I either crumble tortilla chips on top, or we’ll roll it up in a tortilla or burrito. It’s great on its own in a bowl, too. You can even serve quinoa ground turkey in a salad, too.

How to store skillet taco bake

This skillet taco bake probably won’t need to be stored. It’s so good that we never have leftovers! If you do, let it cool completely and store in a glass container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. You can also freeze it for 3-5 months.

Can I substitute rice for quinoa?

If you’re not a quinoa fan or instead prefer a ground turkey and rice skillet, go right ahead. You may want to cook the rice first and then mix in with everything to soak up the flavor.

TRY some of these other EASY recipes!

5 servings